Tube cleaner



Aug. 23, 193.2 R. w. RANDALL ET AL 1,873,478

Filed Deo. 15, 1950 BY -S-mT-@RNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1932 Y Unirse STATES PATENT oi-frclszg' R101-rezan w. RANDALLVAND JOHN o. KOCH, or s'rooKToN, cALIFonNIA v v Turn QLEANER.' i

Application leud December 15.1930. SerialNo. 502,476.

This invention relates totools for cleaning ofthe tool. The teeth of course are disposed scale and other encrustationsfrom the inte# so that they project beyond the ends of the rior of tubes and pipes,i and particularly to a body7 soV that they will engage the walls ofV tool for the purpose of the rotative type with the tube Vand the encrustationsthereon withwhich the removal of the encrusted matter is out vinterference from the body. v 55 effected by a relatively rapid rotation of the The diametral distance between the outtool accompanied by an advance of the same ermost opposed teeth of the ktwo discs is less lengthwise of the tube. than the internal diameter of the tube 4 being The principal object of our invention is t0 operated on, so that the two. discs always 10 provide a tool of this general character so engage the tube to oneside of the diametral 60 constructed that the cutting elements of the plane of the same7 and both spindlesare liketool move thlOugh an arc eccentric t0 the Wise disposed to one side of such planetas aXis of rotation of the tool and will be thrown shown in Fig. 2. against and held engaged with the walls of Ashaft adapted* to be driven by any suit-y the tube solely by a yielding centrifugal able means, preferably a lflexible shaftl con- 65 force. The tool may thus be effectively used nected thereto, from outwardly ofthe tube,` in tubes regardless of whether they are true is'connected to the body to turnY thel same.Vw or out of round, and there is also no danger This shaft` comprises an outer end portion of any seams, rivet heads, or the like which which is maintained in central aXial :aline- 2f may be encountered being cut into, or the ment with the aXisof the tube', and which 7o cutting elements themselves damaged by such is symmetrically disposed relative tothe spin- Contact. y dles and a relatively long angularly disposed A further obj ect of the invention is to proportion 6 which extends and is rigidly ser vide a simple and inexpensive device and yet cured to the face of thebody opposite to one which will be exceedingly effective for that on which the discs are mounted. rlhe 75 the purpose for which it is designed. point of connection of said angular, portion These objects we accomplish by means of with the body is preferably adjacent theaxis such structure and relative arrangement of of one of the spindles 2, as indicated in Fig. parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the l', so that with the rotation of the shaft the following specification and claims. weight of `the body will eXert a relatively 80 In the drawing similar characters of refgreat centrifugal or whipping effort. 1 erence indicate COIIeSpOIldiDg parts ill the lAs a result of this arrangement lboth discs Several VGWS: remain engaged with the tube as the shaft ro- Fgl is@ Side elfvatol 0f 0111 lmPlOVed tates, cutting out the encrusted matter 7 as Y @1939er a? m Operatlonthe shaft is advanced lengthwise in the tube. 85 Flg' 2,15 an end 713W of th? Same' The pressure of the lcutting discs ,against the Flg 1S a fragmetltary Seetlon Showmg the tube is governed by the centrifugal action had mountmg of a Cuttmg element" by reasonof the weight of the body and its ,o Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on tle drawing, the numeral l denotes a body of relatively heavy material and which is preferably of ololong (fnorg Sygtthoourdexcdelg Gig `is out 0f round, or if metal protr'usions, such one face of the body toward its ends are as seams or rivet headsnprogect inwardly of 95 headed spindles Q. on which are turnably the' tubef N O damage 1S theffoe-done t0 mounted sharp-toothed cutting discs 3. SllCh Protrlldlng PMS 01 t0 the cutters them- These discs have diderent numbers of teeth SelVeS-4V Y offset connection with theshaft, and alsoto o the fact that the shaft is not rigidly secured in the tube. The disc and body may therefore yieldradially of the tube if the same A so that the teeth of one will not track in the From the foregoing descriptionrit will be grooves made by the other with the rotation readily seen that we have produced such Ia v device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this c specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred, construction of -the device, still` in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to asdo not form a departure from the spirit o-f the inventiomasdefined by the appended claims. Having thus described our invention What We clainirasnev and useful and desire to secure by Let-ter'sPatent is l. A tube cleaner adapted to be introduced into a tube comprising a drive shaft adapted to be disposed concentrically in said tube .and

` having a portion extending at an angle to the vremainder of said shaft, a body :at the-end of said portion symmetrically dispcsedrelative to a planepassing through .the shaft and to Whichthe Aouter end of said portion is se-k cured, and cutting elements projecting i out- Wardly of the side edges of the body mounted "thereon in opposed relation to each other.

2- A tube cleaner comprising a drive shaft having a main. portion and having at one end 'a portion extending at anangle .to said main portion, va body at said end symmetrically disposed relative to a plane passing through said shaft and to `which the outer 6. A tube cleaner comprising spaced rotary cutters to engage the Walls of a tube, the diametral distance between the opposed edges of the cutters being less than the diameter of the tube, a body on Which said cutters are turnably mounted, and means to rotate the body about a center spaced from said body so as constantly to `maintain the v cutters end of `said extendingportion is secured, ro-

tary cutters disposed on one face `of ,the body and of a .diameter lto project outwardly of the l' peripheral .edges of the body, and axial sup ports for the cutters mounted in lthe body parallel to the shaft. l

3. A'str-ucture as in .claim 2., in which one of said supports is aligned With'the connection of vthe extending portion vof the shaft with the body, While the other :support is located a corresponding rdistance on the other side of said plane.

l A tubel cleaner comprising a .drive shaft adapted to extend centrally and coaxially i into altube,-a body, spindlcsmounted von one faceof the body parallel to the axis of said tubev .and in symmetrical relation to a plane passing through 'the axis of said tube and to one side of -a second axial plane perpendicular to :said plane, rotary cutters mounted on .the spindles to project outwardlyof the edges of the body so as to engage the Walls of the Itube to one side of said second y axial plane, :and a portion of ythe shaft diverging from the axis .of said tube and secured at its outer vend on the body. l

.5. A tube cleaner comprising spaced rotary .cutters to engage the Walls of a tube, the

Y y 'ne diametral distance between the opposed Y' edges of the cutters being less than the diameter of the tube, a body on Which said cutters kare turnably mounted, a shaft adapted to extend centrally in the tube and :parallel with y the axes of rotation of the cutters, and means connecting the ,shaft to the body to maintain the cutters to one side of the diametral plane of the tube with the rotation of thel shaft. 

